James hodgkinson



(No Model.)

J. HODGKIN'SON.

MEGHANIGAL STOKER.

Patented Mar. 22, 1887'.

INVENTOR J MM m w W N. PETERS PtuRa-Uihogn'pher. Wl'nhinglm D. C.

tribution of the fuel depends upon the form somewhat to adapt them to furnaces of differ-' UNITED STATES PATENT J AMES HODGKINSON, OF SALFORD, COUNTY OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

ESPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,676, dated March 22, 1887.

Application filed December 21,1856. Serial No. 222,190. (No model.) Patented in Canada August 19, 1886, No. 24,762.

To a-ZZ whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES Honoumson, of the firm of Hodgkinson 8: 00., (Limited,) Ordsall Machine "Works, lVoden street, Salford, Manchester, England, engineer, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Stokers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists of improvements upon the apparatus for which Letters Patent No. 322, 605 were granted me on the 21st day of July, 1885, and relates to the device for crushing and measuring the fuel, to the device for distributing the fuel, and to the mode of regulating the supply of fuel to the furnace.

In the drawings which accompany this specification and form a part thereof, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the stoker, with a view of the fixed regulator attachment. Fig. 2 is acrossseclion of the stoker on the line ac ac, Fig. 1.

The same letters of reference refer to like parts in both figures.

The crushing and measuring plateA is in this invention made reversible, as shown in Fig. 2. Vhen the plate is used in connection with the pocket B of crusher Gas a measuring and crushing plate, a spring, D, is employed, which keeps the plate in position, but allows it to yield to any unusual strain and prevent the breakage of the apparatus. The use of a spring-plate as described in myformer invention has been found objectionable, and this device has been substituted. lVhen it is desired to use this plate for simply measuring the fuel in connection with the pockets B, it is reversed, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. This plate may be of any form and material adapted for the purpose.

The boss E on shaft F is in this invention provided with the two or more blades E, as shown in Fig. 1, for distributing the fuel evenly on the gratesurface. The even disand direction of these blades. They may vary out forms and sizes; but I have, after a long series of experiments, found that this form gives a more satisfactory result in ordinary furnaces.

The failure of the mechanical stokers heretofore invented has arisen chiefly from their failure to distribute the fuel evenly in the fur nace. The direction of the blades E should be from the central line of the boss to the outside line, the angle formed by the two wings a a varying according to the dimensions of the boss, and these dimensions may advanthe waste of fuel, and the labor of an attendant. The fuel is supplied to the furnace as required to maintain the uniform pressure of steam.

The device for regulating the feed has a safety-valve, H, suitably connected with the boiler G. This valve is weighted to any de sired pressure, and when the pressure in the boiler becomes greater the valve is forced open and steam escapes into the pipe I and disengages the clutch J through the levers b b and rod 0, (shown in Fig. 1,) the lever b being operated by pin d, and entirely stops the feeding device, and no fuel will be thrown into the furnace until the pressure returns to its normal state. The steam escapes from the pipe when the valve closes through pipe The connection of the valve H with the clutch J may be of any suitable description, and fast and loose pulleys may be substituted for the clutch, the essential feature of this regulating device being a valve which permits the steam to escape ata given pressure and stops the feeding of the fuel, the feeding commencing again as soon as the pressure in the boiler allows the valve to close.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a mechanical stoker, a. reversible crusher-plate, A, supported by a spring, D, in combination with a crusher, 0, arranged for the purpose and substantially in the mannor set forth.

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2. In a mechanical Stoker, a fuelwlistribfuel to thefurnace,consistingof clutch J,valve uter consisting of a boss, E on. the shaft :F, H, andlever b, with connections for operating 10' said boss being provided with blades E, 0011- said device, substantially as set forth. strueted and arranged substantially as set 5 forth J AMES HODGKINSON 3. In a mechanical Stoker, a device for con- Witnesses: I necting distributer-shaft F with a steam-boiler JAMES M. TULLY,

for automatically regulating the supply of GABRIEL J. GALSTER. 

